iOS 9: 'Home' App For Controlling HomeKit Accessories

WRITTEN BY Tina ON July 23, 2015

Smart home Product have become a hot selling point in the new high-tech market which makes it less uncommon to use smartphone to control household appliances and home devices. Apple is kind of out-of-date in this aspect. However, it is said that Apple is planning a new “Home” app that would enable users to wirelessly control HomeKit-based accessories when using an iPhone, according to some resources.

Last year, Apple introduced an iOS-based smart home framework. HomeKit is specifically designed for the software and hardware producer of smart home, along with the third party developer. This software framework is able to connect smart home device with iPhone or Apple TV as a hub. Obviously, Apple still needs to provide its users an app by which they can control and manage all household appliance or smart home devices.

According to the reports from 9to5Mac, Apple is developing a new app Home which is expected to be applied in the new iOS 9 system. The icon of this new app contains a house in a dark yellow background. But so far, this app can only do simple performance e.g. discovering and setting up compatible HomeKit devices via apps.

Besides, customers can create a virtual representation of rooms in the home to easily organize and connect HomeKit devices. What’s more, users can utilize the Apple TV as a bub to connect all of the HomeKit devices. And the Home app is able to help users find new HomeKit devices and apps.

In fact, like what Apple has done on mobile health field, Apple is doing the similar thing on smart home market. For health field, HealthKit has been made specifically for manufactures and developer, and later the app Health was introduced to the customers and user. With Health, users can manage and control all health and sports devices directly.

Compared with other smartphone manufacturers, Apple develops much slower in the aspect of smart home. It is reported that Apple will postpone the project of HomeKit. But recently, it is confirmed by the Apple employees that the first generation on HomeKit devices will be put on sale on June, which means that using iPhone to control the lamps and patch boards will become reality.
Sources from 9to5 Mac claimed that “Home” app is till at the earlier stages of development instead of the final version that can be used by customers. So it is yet unsure whether Home could be announced at Apple’s upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference.As for some suspicion about HomeKit’s slow performance, Apple explained that the previous performance is the testing of HomeKit for its manufacturers. Now dozens of companies are developing compatible devices for HomeKit.

Google, competitor of Apple, has bought Nest which is a manufacturer for Smart Thermostats and ordered it to run the smart home business. And Nest has transformed from a hardware manufacturer to smart home operator.

In China, some smartphone producers have begun to produce Android Source Code and they have launched the plan of smart home which manufacturers acted as the code. The smartphone manufacturers and the household manufactures cooperate with each other in order to seize the first opportunity. But some opinions claimed that this alliance is short-sighted which would lead to the disintegration between the smart home standard and its platform. This is harmful for the long-term development of smart home market.

According to the reports from 9to5Mac, Apple is developing a new app Home which is expected to be applied in the new iOS 9 system. The icon of this new app contains a house in a dark yellow background. But so far, this app can only do simple performance e.g. discovering and setting up compatible HomeKit devices via apps.